Stasis
camera shows a castle on a familiar planet. It is too early for the planet's star to light up the sky, but some of the artificial lights surrounding the castle make it relatively bright compared to the rather dark planet. Everything is silent as well. The camera cuts into the throne room in the castle. The king is sitting on the throne, standing across from a scientist and a young boy. All three are of the same race, and the two standing across from the king appear to be related. The scientist and the king appear to be in an argument. King: For the last time, Lazmir, the answer is no the scientist: I don't want this to become ugly, Prenar the king: That's King Prenar to you... Lazmir: You're barely a king! You treat us like slaves... Prenar: Your project is simply not worth my time or resources. grunts. Prenar: Security! Get him out of my sights. guards begin to approach Lazmir and the boy. Lazmir lets out a scream as he draws a small gun. The boys shutters in fear without talking. Lazmir: Your a corrupt monster. screams again and fires three shots from the gun. The guards rush forward, but the damage has been done; all three shots hit the king, immediately killing him. Security pushes the boy to the ground as they tackle the scientist. He kicks the guards off of him for just long enough to fire the gun on himself. The boy stares in fear as he sees Lazmir, his father, fall to the ground. The two guards sit on the ground as they watch the boy start to cry. The camera cuts and shows the outside of the castle as it then fades to many years later. Inside the dungeon of the castle, many guards are defending against red energy blasts from an unknown source. The blasts stop as a large white energy block comes from the door to the hallway, crushing all of the guards against the opposite wall. Ray and Roy walk forward into the hallway as all the other recruits except for Reg follow them. They see that the hallway is empty and walk through it. Ray: That was easier than I thought it was going to be... Roy: Tell me about it... arrive at the end of the hallway and the door opens. The room they arrive in has a large cell with a special device on the wall. Ray: Okay, we're here... Harry, you know what to do... steps forward and punches into the device. He rips open part of the wall, after struggling for a moment, revealing a slot with a large blue crystal in it. Harry: That must be the Ice Key... recruits stare at it, and after a moment, Ray removes it and holds it in his hands. A loud thud can be heard from inside the cell. The recruits stand motionless. Holly: Who's in there? Ray: That's the Phantom, and I'm sure he's pretty angry after being trapped motionless in there for all these years... Ray: By Lotin... camera cuts back to Corten II in the flashback, only a few minutes after Prenar and Lazmir died. The young boy is standing near a women in the throne room as royal guards, policemen, and the Queen are on the other side of the room. Boy: I don't understand mom... Mom: It's going to be hard for us without your father... looks over at the Queen, who stares at her intently. Mom: Your name, I never told you where it came from, did I? Boy: No...? Mom: Well in the ancient language of the Telecortexians... Lotin means brave. Song camera shows the outside of the Plumbers' Academy. The camera cuts to the Magisters' office. It is empty until the door opens and Hornbok and Ivada walk in. Ivada: So you haven't heard from the team yet? Hornbok: No, I don't know if they even got to Corten II. If we don't here back from them soon then I'm going to send another squad... Ivada: I still can't believe that the only real thing you gained from your ruse was the location of the Phantom, especially when he was kind of hidden in plain sight... Hornbok: We gained much more than that, such as the confirmation of his alliance with the both the Aldabarbarians and Dexis... Ivada: Which we couldn't have figured out before... We need to start piecing everything together; why would Lotin form an alliance with Dexis and the Aldabarbarians? Hornbok: We'll figure this out, don't worry... is silent for a moment. Hornbok: Okay, I'll be in my quarters... exits the office and heads down the hallway. He looks out the window as he walks down the hallway and then stops to look at the stars in the distance. to himself: Who are you...? sees a vision in his head of the purple chained figure that Sci, Paper, and Reg have also seen. Hornbok: You remind me of someone... concentrates for a moment and then his eyes widen. He looks like he's figured something out, but then he looks out the window again and sees several spaceships approaching the Academy. Hornbok: Oh no... the ships get closer, it can be easily seen that they are Aldabarbarian ships. Hornbok picks up his communicator to contact Ivada as he runs back to the office. Hornbok: Ivada, emergency, it's the Aldabarbarians... Ivada: They're here? Hornbok: Get the team! presses a button. The camera cuts to the barracks. Several barracks are shown with the team sleeping in them. In the barracks shared by Paper, Brian, Sci, and Rob, Paper jumps up as the alarm in the room sounds. Brian slowly gets up as Sci jumps out of bed. Rob stays asleep for a moment before jumping awake once he notices the alarm. Rob: Who triggered that? Brian: I don't know, but this has never happened before... opens the door to the barracks and sees the rest of the team running down the hallway. Rob: Should we get our suits? Paper: The others aren't, let's just go... runs out of the room and lightly jogs to catch up with the rest of the recruits. He catches up with Toon, Zon, Jack, and Aevan, who share a barrack. Toon: Has that alarm ever sounded before? Zon: I don't think so. In fact, I didn't even know they had an alarm in the barracks... recruits arrive in the lobby, but it is empty. Water: Is this ever where we supposed to go? Probably not... and Ivada arrive in the lobby and look at the team. Ivada: Sorry, the new alarm system is kind of loud... Water: Yeah, can you shut it off!? Hornbok: It'll go off on its own, but we have bigger problems to deal with... Jack: Like...? there is a loud crashing sound. All of the Plumbers run to the end of the lobby where the Magisters came from and see that a large stake at the end of an Aldabarbarian warship has been lodged into the side of the Academy. Hornbok: Like that... You take care of any Aldabarbarians who get into the Academy, I'll contact Galactic-Command... Nick: And get normal Plumbers on the case? Hornbok: What's wrong with normal Plumbers? They're perfectly qualified... Nick: You've never done that before, I'd just expect that if you thought the Spec. Ops. team needed help then you would get the Black Ops. team or something... Hornbok: The number one rule of being a Plumber is to never mention the Plumbers' Black Ops. team. It was decommissioned decades ago. Nick: Well... Ivada: We understand, but this is the Aldabarbarians we're talking about, and are you really refusing help? Nick: Whatever, our help better be adequate... Hornbok: We can talk more about this later, in the mean time we need to stop the Aldabarbarians from getting into the Academy... team turns to the lodged in stake. They head towards it as the stake suddenly retracts and a large bridge extends from the ship. As soon as it connects with the Academy, an Aldabarbarian General walks across it and stands just beyond the walls of the Academy. General: I believe before we begin, I should introduce myself. I am Halar, the highest ranking Aldabarbarian in our court, and the third highest official overall, behind only the great Phantress and esteemed Phantom, who as you may be aware are not Aldabarbarians. Sci: Get to the point, we don't need to socialize... Halar: Understood. I am going to be very upfront about this. The previous two Aldabarbarian campaigns, the invasion of Betelgusia and the re-acquisition of our command ship were all part of one goal, as you might know, to find our lost leader, the Phantom. Sci: And...? Halar: As we told you, if you do not return him to us, which you have not, then we will destroy this Academy and then the Earth... You have one hour to surrender and be spared, return the Phantom, or be extinguished and have your Academy destroyed... turns around and walks back onto the ship as the bridge retracts. The team stares at the Aldabarbarian fleet before everyone turns and looks at Paper. Paper: What? Nick: You know where the Phantom is because of Lotin's inhibitor collar, right? Hornbok: Actually... looks like he is about to explain something to the team as the camera cuts to Corten II. The Phantom has punched his hand through the wall opposite his cell. The recruits are surrounding him, with 4 on either side. Phantom: You have no idea what you've done, trapping me here for... Over a decade... Chris: That wasn't us, that was Lotin. Can you remember? closes his eyes and sees the flashback of being thrown into the cell by Lotin and then being frozen as the Ice Key is placed into the slot. He snaps his eyes open. Phantom: It is very disorienting, but I believe that I remember... places his hand on his forehead to maintain his balance. Phantom: Why have I been freed by the Plumbers? Is this because of a threat? Roy: It's complicated and I don't think we should tell you... Phantom: Unfortunate, but expected of course... I'm going to guess that you won't let me leave? Ahmad: If you don't attack us, we won't attack you... grins and then looks at Ray, holding the Ice Key. Phantom: That key... Ray: It serves little purpose now, your ship was destroyed in a battle... Phantom: Your don't understand the power of that key, it is more than just the greatest threat to the Aldabarbarians... Keep it, and we'll see how long you last with it... closes his eyes and concentrates for a moment before disappearing in a burst of steam. Ray holds the Ice Key as the recruits gather around him and look at it. Roy: That reminds me... Out of all of us, who went on the mission to the temple on the Haven? Harry: It was just you and me... Roy: Remember what Dexis recited? The poem by Robert Frost, Fire and Ice. How did it go again? Figy: Some say the world will end in fire, Harry: Some say in ice. Holly: From what I've tasted of desire Chris: I hold with those who favor fire. Ahmad: But if it had to perish twice, Paul: I think I know enough of hate Ray: To say that for destruction ice is also great, All: And would suffice. Ice Key begins to glow a bright blue color as a large light blue orb forms around the recruits. The orb disappears along with the recruits and the key, leaving the dungeon empty, but with a thin layer of ice on all of the walls, the floor, and the ceiling. The camera cuts to Aldabarbaria. Phantress is sitting on the throne. A holographic screen in front of her has Halar on it. Halar: I delivered the warning to them only 15 minutes ago, they still have 45 minutes to either meet out demands or suffer the consequences... Phantress: Excellent. Prepare your forces, I know that this is a bet that they can't-- she finishes, there is a large red flash in front of her. A column of steam appears in front of her as the Phantom walks forward. Phantress: Meet. angry: Off of my throne! quickly stands up and stands to the side of the throne before bowing down. The holographic screen turns around and Halar can be seen bowing down on it. The soldiers on the sides of the room can be seen bowing down to the Phantom as he walks forward and takes his seat on the throne. Phantress: Welcome back... Phantom: You seem disappointed... Phantress: I'm surprised that the Plumbers were able to meet our demands so quickly, unless they were anticipating it... Phantom: The Plumbers who freed me said that the situation was complicated, so maybe they were anticipating it... They also said that my ship was destroyed. Phantress: Indeed it was, but... opens up a compartment in the back of the throne and takes out the Fire Key. She hands it to Phantom as he holds it in his hands. Phantom: Both of the Sacred Keys in less than 5 minutes... Phantress: You saw the Ice Key? Phantom: The Plumbers who freed me had it... Phantress: And you didn't take it from them... Phantom: I was in no position to, and it is not detrimental to my plans... Phantress: What about my plans? Phantom: I thought we had the same agenda... Phantress: What are you going to do? Phantom: I think that you should explain yourself first... Phantress: Destroy the Plumbers in order to eliminate one of the two groups that has interfered with our plans to conquer Betelgusia... Phantom: I agree that the Plumbers need to be destroyed, but you never understood our original goal, did you? Phantress: Maybe not... Phantom: The Betelgusians have always been the biggest rivals of the Aldabarbarians, but we are not Aldabarbarian... When we came to this planet almost 300 years ago, our goal was to find the Haven, the satellite for refugees... Phantress: The one that is currently at the Earth? outraged: The Haven is at Earth? When did it appear there... Phantress: It was there when we last invaded a couple months ago... Phantress: Then this works out quite well... After we destroy the Plumbers, we will finally return to our true goal, of conquering the Haven... Commercial camera cuts to another flashback on Corten II. A Plumbers' ship can be seen landing near a house on the planet. In the house, a teenage Lotin stands in his room, with his packed bags on the ground. He is staring out the window at the Plumbers' ship. His mother walks into the room. Mother: This is your last chance, Lotin. If you don't want to go... Lotin: But I do want to go, I want to give myself a better life... Mother: I know... I'll miss you; your friends will miss you; your father would-- Lotin: Don't-- stops and looks as if he is about to cry. The ship finishes landing and a Plumber walks out of it. Lotin: I have to go... picks up his bags and walks past his mother. Lotin: Goodbye, mom... Mother: You can call me by my name. It might be the only time you even say it... Lotin: Goodbye, Wevera leaves the room. After a moment, Wevera walks over to the window and watches her only son walk onto the ship with the Plumber. After a few moments, it takes off as the camera cuts to the Academy in the present. Hornbok has just finished explaining that he sent the new recruits to free the Phantom. Will: Well, then we shouldn't have to do anything, the Phantom is freed, right? Toon: I hope so, I'd love to get back to sleep... the bridge from the Aldabarbarian ship once again extends into the Academy. Halar walks across it and stops just before the broken window. Many Aldabarbarian soldiers are standing behind him. The Plumbers take caution at the soldiers and prepare for a fight. Hornbok steps beyond the broken glass and right in front of Halar. Halar: Are you the ranking officer at this base? Hornbok: I am... Halar: The Phantom arrived on Aldabarbaria moments ago, and he confirmed that he was helped by Plumbers, and therefore you have held up your end of the agreement. Hornbok: Now hold up your end... Halar: Phantress' orders were to retreat once the Phantom returned, but Phantress is no longer the leader, the Phantom is, and he is ordering an attack on this Academy. of the soldiers standing behind Halar aim their guns at the Plumbers. Hornbok looks at Halar. Hornbok: Very well... Team, attack... steps back into the Academy as the team charges forward to fight the Aldabarbarians. Will and Brian are the first two recruits to arrive on the bridge as they begin to fight through the Aldabarbarian soldiers. The camera cuts to Hornbok, who takes out his communicator to radio Galactic-Command. Hornbok: Magister Hornbok requesting backup at the Academy, we're under a full scale attack by a fleet of Aldabarbarian warships. Voice: This is Magister Striys, I will send out a warning on the intercom here at Galactic. Hornbok: Sounds good. Striys: Okay, execute. camera cuts to Magister Striys at Plumbers' Galactic-Command. He had been working in his own office, but once he heard about the attack at the Academy, he had gotten out of his seat and grabbed his Plumbers' badge. He quickly runs out into the hallway and arrives at a control panel. He places his badge on it, opens up the panel, and then holds down a green button within the panel. Striys: Attention all available personnel, there is an ongoing attack at the Academy, requesting backup, repeat, there is an ongoing full-scale invasion of the Academy, all available personnel should report immediately. camera cuts back to the Academy, specifically the fight on the bridge of the ship. Will jumps at an Aldabarbarian soldier and kicks him backwards. He teleports to avoid the blasts from two more soldiers and Brian turns himself into a mirror in order to redirect the blasts. Rob jumps forward and swings his sword, slicing through a group of soldiers. More soldiers continue to surround him as other soldiers blast him. Water charges forward to get rid of the soldiers attacking Rob. He kicks one and then grabs two by their heads and slams them together. Zon gets knocked back by a blast from one soldier's weapon, but he blasts green energy, destroying the weapon. He rushes forward as a vulpimancer-kineceleran hybrid, charging through several soldiers. Jack can be seen sending an electrical surge at a bunch of soldiers. The rest of the recruits seem to be acting as a wall, preventing any soldiers from actually entering or attacking the Academy. One of the ships in the distance can be seen preparing a laser cannon. Aevan flies over to the ship and then launches his shadow as the ship's cannon, sabotaging and destroying it. His shadow returns to him as he lands on the front of the ship and starts fighting off some of the soldiers on it. Toon heads to another ship and starts to work his way through the soldiers guarding that ship's cannon. He sends a wave of flames at a group of soldiers before jumping and roundhousing another one. He sends a fire wave at the main cannon, partially melting and deforming it. The camera cuts to Halar, watching the fight from the command room of the main warship. Halar: How much longer until the Grand Emitter is ready? Soldier: It's ready now, sir. Halar: Excellent. Tell the rest of the fleet to retreat, order an evacuation of this ship, set the Emitter to a countdown of 300, and say goodbye to this corner of the galaxy. Commercial camera shows the team reassembling outside of the Academy as most of the Aldabarbarian ships start to fly away from the Academy before quickly warping away. Eventually, only the main ship with the bridge still connected to the Academy is left. Soon, the bridge starts to retract, and the team steps off of it and into the Academy. Bink: They're leaving so soon...? Paper: They're probably planning something else... see Halar directing a group of soldiers as they wheel a large sphere onto the deck of the ship. Hornbok looks at the sphere with caution. Hornbok: Does anyone know what that is? sees the sphere open, revealing a large red energy sphere inside of it. Hornbok: Get to the transport platforms... Nick: What is--? Hornbok: I'll explain once we're safe, now GET TO THE TRANSPORT PLATFORMS [The team starts to run for the transport platforms. Before running off, Sci takes one look at Paper, who seems him and then nods his head. As all of the team runs for the transport platforms, Paper dashes off in another direction. The camera shows him running through a hallway of lockers and then arriving at once and phasing right through it, placing him in Sci's secret room. He presses a button that immediately opens the locker from behind, shining some light into the room. He grabs one of the copies of the Solvens Tenebrae Vestibulum and then goes to leave the room before stopping. He turns back to the room and then puts his hands in his pocket. He sighs as he runs back into the room to search for something else. The camera cuts to the team arriving at the transport platforms just as Striys and a team of Plumbers start to arrive at it.] Hornbok: No, go back, we're abandoning the mission... Striys: Already, but.. Hornbok: Striys, they have a Nuclear Sun... eyes widen as he turns to his team of Plumbers. Striys: Back to Galactic-Command, this mission is a lost cause... Hornbok: We're coming with you-- Striys: Your team isn't authorized to go to Galactic-Command... Hornbok: They've been before... And we don't have time to wait for your team to go, we need to make one quick trip... Striys: Fine, we can deal with it later... Is your entire team here, though? looks around quickly. Hornbok: Slick, Kruto, and Relgo were conducting business at Galactic-Command, and my team of young recruits is on a mission, so yes, everyone's-- quickly looks at the team to double check. He sighs Hornbok: --Paper. team looks around and Paper is nowhere to be seen. Sci looks worried as the camera cuts to the Aldabarbarian ship. One of the soldiers enters a code into the outer sphere that was containing the red energy sphere. A countdown appears on the sphere's screen, ticking down from 300. Halar: Set it to 30, we don't need that much time... soldiers nods his head and then switches the countdown to 30 seconds. Halar: And start it now, let's go... red energy sphere stays in place as the ship begins to fly away. As soon as the Halar and the soldiers get onto the ship, its warp drive activates and the ship warps away. The countdown can be seen at 18 seconds as the camera cuts back to the team waiting at the transport platforms. Striys: Paper, the Lieutenant on your team? How stupid is he-- Hornbok: I-- Sci: He's getting something very valuable from my room, sir. steps aside, allowing Sci to stand directly across from Striys. Striys: What could be more important than his life? Sci: The biggest prophecy in the galaxy... Hornbok: He's getting the SVT? Striys: Look, I don't pick favorites... If he's not here in 10 seconds, then he's not going to make it on this trip... there is a loud high pitched sound. Striys: That's 5 seconds until the Nuclear Sun goes off, we're going now... presses some things into the transport platform and all of the Plumbers except for Hornbok step onto it. After a moment, and without saying anything, Hornbok steps onto the platform. It transports all of the Plumbers away as the camera cuts to the red energy sphere. The countdown hits zero, and the sphere emits a red energy laser at the Academy, starting to destroy it. The camera cuts to Galactic-Command as all of the Plumbers who were at the Academy arrive on it. They are in the open area of the headquarters where all of the transport platforms are. A large building surrounds them, with the four small building and one large central building within the central area in the courtyard of the surrounding building. Some ships are flying over head between the buildings. Striys: I'll inform the other Magisters about the Academy... Will your young team know to come here? Hornbok: I will contact them telling them to go to a base on Earth where I will meet up with them and bring them here... nods his head and looks displeased as he walks away with the rest of his team. Hornbok looks at Sci with a grim look. The camera cuts to inside one of the four small buildings in Galactic-Command, specifically Hornbok's office at this headquarters. Sci is sitting in the office as Hornbok sits at his desk. Hornbok: Today didn't go very well... Paper is still at the Academy, and the recruits are not responding when I try and contact them... depressed: You make it sound like Paper's alive... Hornbok: Well, either way he's at the Academy... You really sent him just to get the SVT? Sci: And the blood... Hornbok: of Excelsium? Sci: I'd assume he was going to get that, too. Hornbok: Wouldn't he have had it with him? Sci: It doesn't matter, we lost him, the SVT, and the vial... I don't like to say it, but things couldn't get much worse... camera cuts to an hour later, still at Galactic-Command. Hornbok and Ivada walk into a room with a long table. Many Magisters are sitting all around the table. The two Magisters take their seats at the table as one Magister standing at the end of the table stands up. Magister: Now that Hornbok and Ivada are present, we may begin this meeting of the Council of Magisters... End